Arson suspected as fire damages NS maintenance equipment

Police and firefighters are investigating what appears to be an intentionally set blaze that damaged one and destroyed another railroad track repair vehicle, the Dayton, Ohio, Daily News reports. It took firefighters less than 20 minutes about 5:40 a.m. Feb. 3, to get the fires under control along the railroad tracks near 506 E. Xenia Ave., according to reports.

One of the vehicles was damaged so badly it may need to be replaced at a cost of $750,000, according to fire department records.

Rudy Husband, spokesman for Norfolk Southern, which owns the equipment, said an accurate damage estimate hadn't been made by the company.

The equipment is used for track repairs, Husband said. "We move equipment throughout the system when work needs to be done in southwest Ohio," Husband said.